Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor package is provided. The method includes forming a first alignment mark in a first substrate of a first wafer and forming a first bonding structure over the first substrate. The method also includes forming a second bonding structure over a second substrate of a second wafer and trimming the second substrate, so that a first width of the first substrate is greater than a second width of the second substrate. The method further includes attaching the second wafer to the first wafer via the first bonding structure and the second bonding structure, thinning the second wafer until a through-substrate via in the second substrate is exposed, and performing a photolithography process on the second wafer using the first alignment mark.

Abstract: Video encoding methods and apparatuses in a video encoding system receive an input residual signal of a current block by a shared transform circuit, apply horizontal transform and vertical transform by a shared transform circuit to generate transform coefficients, apply quantization and inverse quantization to generate recovered transform coefficients, apply inverse vertical transform and inverse horizontal transform to the recovered transform coefficients by the shared transform circuit to generate a reconstructed residual signal for the current block, and encode the current block based on quantized levels of the current block. The shared transform circuit and a coefficient buffer in the folded 4-time transform architecture reuse computation resources in each transform stage. In some embodiments of the folded 4-time transform architecture, a hierarchical design for block size grouping is implemented with fixed throughput for uniform hardware scheduling.

Abstract: Video encoding methods and apparatuses in a video encoding system receive an input residual signal of a current block by a shared transform circuit, apply horizontal transform and vertical transform by a shared transform circuit to generate transform coefficients, apply quantization and inverse quantization to generate recovered transform coefficients, apply inverse vertical transform and inverse horizontal transform to the recovered transform coefficients by the shared transform circuit to generate a reconstructed residual signal for the current block, and encode the current block based on quantized levels of the current block. The shared transform circuit and a coefficient buffer in the folded 4-time transform architecture reuse computation resources in each transform stage. In some embodiments of the folded 4-time transform architecture, a hierarchical design for block size grouping is implemented with fixed throughput for uniform hardware scheduling.

Abstract: Video encoding or decoding methods and apparatuses include receiving input data associated with a current block in a current picture, determining a preload region in a reference picture shared by two or more coding configurations of affine prediction or motion compensation or by two or more affine refinement iterations, loading reference samples in the preload region, generating predictors for the current block, and encoding or decoding the current block according to the predictors. The predictors associated with the affine refinement iterations or coding configurations are generated based on some of the reference samples in the preload region.

Abstract: A liquid level sensor and a method for sensing a liquid level adapted to a liquid storage container are provided. The liquid level sensor includes a plurality of sensing electrodes and a liquid level determination circuit. The sensing electrodes are disposed on a side wall of the liquid storage container and correspond to different liquid levels. The liquid level determination circuit is coupled to the sensing electrodes and stores a plurality of capacitance reference values and a plurality of capacitance threshold values in response to a tuning command received from a host during factory calibration. The capacitance reference values are locked after the factory calibration. After the factory calibration, the liquid level determination circuit scans capacitance values of the sensing electrodes to determine a liquid level of a liquid in the liquid storage container based on current capacitance values of the sensing electrodes.

Abstract: A liquid level sensor and a method for sensing a liquid level adapted to a liquid storage container are provided. The liquid level sensor includes a plurality of sensing electrodes and a liquid level determination circuit. The sensing electrodes are disposed on a side wall of the liquid storage container and correspond to different liquid levels. The liquid level determination circuit is coupled to the sensing electrodes and stores a plurality of capacitance reference values and a plurality of capacitance threshold values in response to a tuning command received from a host during factory calibration. The capacitance reference values are locked after the factory calibration. After the factory calibration, the liquid level determination circuit scans capacitance values of the sensing electrodes to determine a liquid level of a liquid in the liquid storage container based on current capacitance values of the sensing electrodes.

Abstract: A touch detection apparatus and a touch detection method are provided. The touch detection apparatus includes a sensing element and a detection circuit. The touch detection method includes the following steps. At least one touch sensing value is provided by the sensing element. Whether a first object touches the sensing element is determined by the detection circuit according to the at least one touch sensing value and a first reference value in a first stage. If the first object touches the sensing element, a second reference value is calculated by the detection circuit according to the at least one touch sensing value and the detection circuit enters a second stage. Whether a second object touches the first object is determined by the detection circuit according to the at least one touch sensing value and the second reference value in the second stage.

Abstract: A touch detection apparatus and a touch detection method are provided. The touch detection apparatus includes a sensing element and a detection circuit. The touch detection method includes the following steps. At least one touch sensing value is provided by the sensing element. Whether a first object touches the sensing element is determined by the detection circuit according to the at least one touch sensing value and a first reference value in a first stage. If the first object touches the sensing element, a second reference value is calculated by the detection circuit according to the at least one touch sensing value and the detection circuit enters a second stage. Whether a second object touches the first object is determined by the detection circuit according to the at least one touch sensing value and the second reference value in the second stage.

Abstract: A liquid level sensor and a method for sensing a liquid level adapted to a liquid storage container are provided. The liquid level sensor includes a plurality of sensing electrodes and a liquid level determining circuit. The sensing electrodes are arranged on a side wall of the liquid storage container, and correspond to different liquid levels. The liquid level determining circuit is coupled to the sensing electrodes, and scans capacitance values of the sensing electrodes, so as to determine a liquid level of a liquid in the liquid storage container based on the current capacitance values of the sensing electrodes.

Abstract: A liquid level sensor and a method for sensing a liquid level adapated to a liquid storage container are provided. The liquid level sensor includes a pluraity of sensing electrodes and a liquid level determining circuit. The sensing electrodes are arranged on a side wall of the liquid storage container, and correspond to different liquid levels. The liquid level determining circuit is coupled to the sensing electrodes, and scans capacitance values of the sensing electrodes, so as to determine a liquid level of a liquid in the liquid storage container based on the current capacitance values of the sensing electrodes.

Abstract: A key module and a signal generating method of the key module are provided. The key module is suitable for an electronic device, the electronic device has a processing system, and the key module includes a detecting module and a controller. The detecting module includes a main electrode conductor and an assisting electrode conductor, where the assisting electrode conductor is disposed around the main electrode conductor. The controller is coupled to the main electrode conductor and the assisting electrode conductor. When the controller determines that a touch is detected by the main electrode conductor, but not detected by the assisting electrode conductor, the controller transmits a key signal to the processing system.